Car-coupling



(No Model.)

` G. A. PATTEN 8u J. T. WBBBER.

GAR GOUPLING.

110.461,04?) Patented Oct. 18, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE ANDERSON PATTEN AND JOHN THOMAS VEBBER, OF RED LODGE,

1 MONTANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,043, dated October13, 1891.

Application tiled May 29, 1891. Serial No. 394,577. (No model.)

.To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE ANDERSON PATTEN and JOHN 'lHoMAs WEBBER,citizens ot' the United States, residing at Red Lodge,

in the county of Park and State of Montana, have invented a new anduseful CarCoup ling, ot' which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in carcouplings- The object of thepresent invention is to provide asi mple and inexpensive car-couplerwhich will be automatic in its operation and which will uncouple shoulda car be overturned or derailed, and which may be readily uncoupledwithout necessitating a person passing between the cars.

The invention consists of the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View ot' a car-couplingembodying the invention. Flg. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a car havinghorizontal sills 2, between which are arranged a draw-bar 3, and thelatter is provided at its front end with an integral coupler-head 4. Thedrawbar has its rear end connected to the ends of a metal stirrup 5, andinterposed between cross-plates (j is a spiral sprin g 7, which isarranged on the rod 8. The crossplates are arranged within the stirrnpand between the sills 2, and the spring forms a cushion to preventshocks in coupling and jars incident to the passage of a train.The-plates are limited in their movements by stops 9 and 10, which areformed by plates secured to the inner opposed faces of the sills andhaving their adjacent ends bent at an angle. When cars come together incoupling, the spring bears against the rear plate, and duringthe passageof the train, when the draw-bar is drawn outward, the spring bearsagainst the front plate. By this arrangement a perfect spring-cushion isformed.

The coupler-head is provided -in its lower face with a cavity or recess11, which has its front walls shouldered and adapted to engage heads ofa link 1.2, and acting in conjunction with the coupler-head is a plate13, which is arranged adjacent thedraw-bar and is provided with anopening 11 to receive a depending lug 15 of the draw-bar, and the 55bottom plate 13 is secured in place by crossplates 16 and the said lug15. The outer or front end of the bottom plate is bent downward and isadapted to guide the link 12 into the recess 11. The link 12 is providedat its 6o ends with heads 17, which are beveled toward the ends of thelink andare shouldered at 1S, and are adapted to engage the shoulderedwall ot' the recess 11.

The cars are uncoupled andthe couplerhead raised to release thelinkbyarock-shaft 19, which is provided intermediate its ends with arectangular bend 20, arranged in a recess 21 of the draw-bar and adaptedto engage the same to lift the coupler-head. The 7o ends of therock-shaft are bent at an angle, and the outer end 22 is connected by achain 3 with a lever2t. The lever24; is fulcrumed on the side of the cara-nd is arranged in the. ratchet 25, and is provided with a flangedsegment 26, on which the chain is wound to turn the rock-shaft.

1n the accompanying drawings the carcoupling is shown applied to a boxcar; but it is equally applicable to a passenger and 8o other cars, andwe desire it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to theprecise details of construction herein shown and described, as we may,without departing from the spirit of the invention, make minor changestherein.

1t will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and inexpensive inconstruction and automatic in operation and adapted to be readilyuncoupled without necessitating a person 9o passing between the cars.

The rock-shaft is journaled in suitable bearings in an L-shaped plate27, arranged on the side of the car adjacent the lever. Asuitable stopis provided to prevent the loop or bend of the rock-shaft being thrownforward beyond the perpendicular.

lVhat we claim is- 1. The combination ot' a car,the verticallymovablecoupler-head provided with a recess roo in its lower face adapted toreceive a headed link, a bottom plate arranged beneath the coupler-head,and a rock-shaft having an arm' arranged to engage the coupler-head andlift the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a car provided with parallel sills 2, thevertically-movable drawbar having a coupler-head which is provided witha recess to receive a headed link, the bottom plate arranged beneath thedraw-bar and between the sills and provided with an opening, thecross-plates 16, secured to the sills and retaining the bottom plate inplace, and a lug depending from the draw-bar and engaging the opening inthe bottom plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination of acar, a verticallymovable coupler-head having arecess in its lower face adapted to engage a headed link,

the bottom plate arranged beneath the coup- `1er-head, the rock-shaftarranged to engage GEORGE ANDERSON PATTEN. JOHN THOMAS WEBBER. A

Witnesses:

T. O. Ross, THOMAS Ross, Sr.

